President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discuss Finland’s participation in crisis management, EU defence cooperation and the situation in North Korea - Embassy of Finland, Dublin : Current Affairs : Ministry for Foreign Affairs News

President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discuss Finland’s participation in crisis management, EU defence cooperation and the situation in North Korea

On Monday 25 September, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed issues relating to international crisis management.

Finland will continue its active participation in international crisis management in line with the priorities set out in the Government Report on Finnish Foreign and Security Policy. Currently, Finland has approximately 500 soldiers participating in 11 military crisis management operations and approximately 130 experts in 20 civilian crisis management operations. The greatest number of Finnish soldiers participates in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and in a training mission in Iraq.

The meeting outlined that Finland will prepare to continue its participation in the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon after the year 2018 and that Finland’s participation in the EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will end on 31 March 2018.

In addition, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy received an update of the development of the EU’s common security and defence policy and defence cooperation.

The meeting also discussed the threat presented by North Korea’s recurrent missile and nuclear tests. Finland supports the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and their thorough implementation as well as further sanctions by the EU as a response to the provocations. At the same time, Finland emphasises the need for dialogue to resolve the situation.